What inspired you to go abroad?
My mom studied abroad in Europe during her senior year of college and was a huge advocate for it!
Lil ol’ me in Italy
Why did you choose Maastricht University?
I knew multiple people who had previously studied in Maastricht through the Center for European Studies and only heard positive things regarding the program. Plus I have family friends who live in the neighboring town and everyone speaks English here! Also, the courses I was planning on taking all transferred back to my home university and counted towards my major.
What was your favorite part about Maastricht?
I love how centrally located Maastricht is, you can be in Germany or Belgium within an hour by train! Not to mention it's two and a half hours away from Amsterdam. Even if you are wanting to stay local for the weekend, there is always something to do in Maastricht as well!
What made your experience abroad unique?
I think the amount of traveling I was able to partake in such a short amount of time contributed to the uniqueness of the CES program. I have talked to other people who have studied abroad elsewhere, all of them had class every day, and they traveled less than I did even though they had a longer program than mine!
Budapest is da best!
How did local staff support you throughout your program?
The CES staff were very helpful throughout my time in Maastricht; they constantly were willing to provide support for students and made it apparent that they were available to assist no matter how small the question. It was great to know that the staff was so supportive and readily available to assist students with their needs!
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently?
Personally, I wish I would have spent more time in Maastricht, each weekend I was so focused on making sure I visited as many new places as I could, so I didn’t really take the time to explore Maastricht as much as I should have.
Describe a typical day in the life of your program.
We had class Monday through Thursday, which was great since we would always have a long weekend, which was usually dedicated to traveling elsewhere. Each day I only had class for about four hours and once class was over, I would then finish that days homework or prepare for the next days class.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time?
I enjoyed traveling each weekend! I went to so many places that I never thought I would've gone, especially in such a short amount of time.
Amsterdam Icebar!
What was your accommodation like? What did you like best about it?
We lived in the Guesthouse, which was about a 20 minute bike ride from the main Maastricht University building, although it was only a five minute bike ride away. I lived in the C-building, which had communal kitchens, showers, and bathrooms. It was kept clean for the most part, but sometimes the kitchen would get messy since it was a lot of students cooking in one area. My favorite part was how large the room was!
What is one thing every participant should know before participating in your program?
The importance of bikes! I don't think anyone should be nervous about biking around Maastricht. It's very easy to get acclimated to riding them. It saves so much time and makes you feel like a local Dutch!
Now that you're home, how has your program abroad impacted your life?
I caught the travel bug while I was studying in Maastricht. Once I got home, I started to make a list of the new places I wanted to go visit. The experiences I gained while studying abroad contributed to my outlook on life as well. My new perspectives have made me a better and more well rounded person.
Would you recommend Maastricht University to others? Why?
Yes, I would definitely recommend this program! The summer program was a perfect amount of time, especially for a first time traveler. I loved how classes took place only four days a week, leaving room for travel. The classes themselves were also very engaging, I really enjoyed the problem based learning compared to being lectured at by Professors back in America.
